In new radio, sometimes referred to as 5G, cellular networks are being designed with cellular base stations having a split RAN (radio access network) architecture. In general, a split architecture is one in which the analogue radio front-end, referred to as the radio units, and the digital baseband processor, referred to as a central unit, are not co-located components. Instead, these components are connected via high speed serial cables. For example, multiple radio units comprising antennas, analog-to-digital converters (ADC)/digitizers, and digital-to-analog converters (DAC) may be mounted on a tower, with the central unit located at the base of the tower, where there is a power source, etc.
In new radio, sometimes referred to as 5G, cellular networks are being designed to achieve high data-rate requirements by using large communication bandwidth. However, the throughput needed for the high speed serial cables can be a limiting factor in the amount of data being communicated.